1. Good morning to everybody.
2. We have now an especially massive viewers right this moment. It isn’t simply 1,005 of you who’re bodily right here, however there are additionally 10,000 becoming a member of us on-line. First, let me congratulate all of you for being a part of the staff who’ve executed so effectively for our college students and our system all through COVID-19.
3. I’ve all the time mentioned that the rationale why we’ve executed so effectively throughout COVID-19, was not simply due to the system that we’ve, or the expertise that we’ve, however due to academics such as you. For us to have survived the worst of COVID-19, and executed what we’ve executed, academics are those we should always honour right this moment!
4. Not too long ago, we’ve yet one more gorgeous consequence within the Progress in Worldwide Studying Literacy Research (PIRLS). What cheered me most was not that we topped the charts the world over, or that we have been one of many three international locations that managed to proceed to make progress regardless of COVID-19. What cheered me most is that we’re the nation that has made constant progress during the last 20 years. Identical to we had taught our college students, our job is to not surpass another person in an examination, however to maintain surpassing ourselves all through life. Congratulations, and effectively executed to all of you.
5. On the subject of Training Ministers, I’ve many predecessors within the Cupboard. A sensible colleague as soon as instructed me this, “Something good that occurred throughout my time as an Training Minister, I ought to give because of all my predecessors, and something dangerous that occurred after my time in schooling, I ought to rapidly take accountability.” I remind myself that always, and it’s one thing that I’ll keep in mind for all times, as a result of that’s what schooling is actually about. We’re not right here for ourselves, we do issues for the lengthy phrases, and we do issues with conviction.
6. Regardless of doing effectively for PIRLS, we should always proceed to remain alert and never be complacent. We all know that the enjoyment of studying is reducing. The youthful era now face many distractions competing for his or her consideration, which begs the query, how can we hold studying enjoyable, purposeful and significant? Though we’ve executed effectively for our studying and literacy check in English, we all know that we do not aspire to be simply good in English in Singapore, our greater purpose is to proceed to be stronger in our bilingual capabilities – English and Mom Tongue. Everyone knows the challenges of how we have to step up our efforts to curiosity our college students in Mom Tongue, given the numerous distractions and the macro atmosphere largely in English.
7. There may be one different factor that we shouldn’t be complacent about, however the truth that we’ve executed effectively in PIRLS – and that’s the disruption brought on by COVID-19. Certainly, by all short-term measures, we’ve executed effectively in comparison with many different international locations. We depend our blessings that we’ve not incurred a lot studying losses as different international locations.
8. The video proven earlier was a mix of 5 kinds of Synthetic Intelligence (AI) instruments, which had generated the script, subtitles, pictures, animations and the voice. All these applied sciences will develop into even cheaper, higher, and sooner as we converse. The query for us right this moment is, what are we going to do about this? Ought to we fake that every one these will cross, or ought to we stand as much as the problem? How can we leverage on these applied sciences and take our occupation to the following degree in order that we are able to train higher, and our college students can study higher? That’s what we need to talk about right this moment.
9. There are quite a lot of potentialities, challenges and alternatives that comes with expertise. How can we assist our college students to distil, discern and uncover? We stay in a world of knowledge overload, and the way can we assist our individuals distil the abundance of knowledge. Prior to now, a set of Encyclopedia appears to be the sum complete of all of the data that we have to know. Right this moment, there’s new info being generated each different minute. So, how can we assist our individuals discern info? Discernment is about equipping our subsequent era with the flexibility to indicate logic and values. Our job is to not prepare our college students to reply yesterday’s issues with yesterday’s options, our problem is assist our college students perceive tomorrow’s challenges and uncover the options going ahead.
10. How then can we equip our academics to assist our college students do that? How can we organise ourselves to study sooner and higher as a system, not simply as a person? Right this moment, I’ll contact on how we are able to equip our academics individually and the way we intend to study collectively as a system.
11. On the Worldwide Summit of Educating Career (ISTP) in Washington D.C. just lately, I discussed that expertise is impartial and whoever masters it win. Right this moment, I’ll replace this assertion. Whoever masters it with the best values, society wins. We have to bear this in thoughts, embrace expertise, and assist our individuals grasp it with the best values, in order that nobody will misuse it.
12. Right this moment is an instance of a blended format. We had a bodily session pre-COVID-19, digital session throughout COVID-19, and blended session post-COVID-19. This would be the possible format for us going ahead, a blended format the place we are able to interact hundreds of individuals on-site and ten thousand extra offsite just about and asynchronously. After we mentioned the idea for right this moment’s Lecturers’ Convention and ExCEL Fest, we needed it to be a stay demonstration of what we are able to obtain. What a thousand of you skilled bodily right here right this moment, might be shared with 30,000 extra on-line. Our educating drive within the service right this moment is about 30,000 and about 40,000 in the event you embrace all of the Institutes of Increased Studying. Let’s give it some thought, if we are able to do that for 30,000 academics in a single morning, and we’ve about 40,000 college students per cohort, what extra can we obtain?
13. For the remainder of right this moment’s session, we can even expertise how we use knowledge to allow what we train utilizing the analytics accessible. I attended the ISTP final month in Washington D.C. It’s a by-invite-only discussion board for the highest performing or quickly bettering schooling programs, to share their practices. It was an extended flight to-and-fro, and I had quite a lot of time to mirror. There was one query on my thoughts: “Why are some programs extra profitable than the remaining? Why have some programs progressed, and the others regressed?”
14. I consider it’s the high quality of academics. Andreas Schleicher as soon as mentioned that the standard of our schooling system can not exceed the standard of our academics. But when that’s the case, then what determines the standard of our academics? How can we invite the most effective individuals to affix us within the educating professions? We depend our blessings that we’re in a position to recruit academics from the highest one-third of the cohort. However that’s each a energy and a possible blind spot.
15. If the standard of our academics is key, then the rationale behind their choice to affix is necessary as effectively. I consider that the respect a instructor receives is much more necessary than the wage that they obtain. In ISTP, I met colleagues from different international locations. Some international locations used to excel, however are going through instructor shortages of as much as 30% right this moment. One other nation shared that solely 10% of their academics consider that the educating occupation is a occupation worthy of respect by society. If that’s the case, any society can be in serious trouble. If no one needs to affix the educating occupation, we might be fairly positive that there can be no high quality educating drive, and no high quality schooling system. How then, can we earn and engender this respect?
16. There are additionally different enablers, such nearly as good pedagogies. How can we hold evolving our pedagogies, or guarantee there’s a range of approaches to be student-centric and permit a number of pathways to cater to totally different wants? We have to change our mindset, as pedagogy will not be one thing that may come down from simply MOE, AST or NIE. A great, vibrant pedagogical ecosystem should come from all of us.
17. Moreover pedagogies, we have to take a look at applied sciences as effectively. How can we embrace expertise and deal with how we are able to value-add? I’ve visited a lot of you throughout my college visits, and I’ve by no means come throughout academics who’re afraid of laborious work. Our academics are solely afraid of boring and meaningless work. It’s not about working roughly, however how we are able to make our work extra impactful and significant. That is why we’ve to always enhance our pedagogies, applied sciences and system design, the place we are able to mass customise.
18. Prior to now, it was all about mass entry to schooling. Right this moment, we’ve gone past the purpose of mass entry. We have to mass customise, based on the wants and potential of every baby, for them to fulfil their potential.
19. What are a few of the key rules that makes up a profitable schooling system? I’ve come to this conclusion – the 4Cs that makes schooling system and permits it to proceed to progress.
20. First, Consistency of Dedication for assets and expertise. In Singapore, we’ve been lucky sufficient to have the political dedication to offer the schooling service the funds necessities. Our schooling funds is among the prime three gadgets for our funds since our independence, and this enables us to plan for the long run. Past cash, the truth that we are able to commit a large proportion of the highest one-third of each cohort to develop into academics is a dedication on our half to the following era. This will sound easy, however only a few international locations can do that. We shouldn’t be complacent that this can all the time be the case. My assurance to you is that this Authorities will proceed this consistency of dedication of assets and expertise. However this isn’t sufficient.
21. Subsequent, we want Coherence and Continuity of insurance policies. Many international locations have excellent concepts on what they’ll do. Nonetheless, you can not have schooling insurance policies that change each few years. I keep in mind at a global convention, I used to be requested what’s it that makes Singapore’s schooling so particular. I shared that we merely deal with doing the straightforward issues effectively, constantly, and collectively. There isn’t a should be overly refined. However it’s simpler mentioned than executed.
22. Right this moment, there’s an avalanche of demand for us to show extra and do many extra. We have to set clear priorities on what must be executed as a substitute of chasing the newest fads. Our college students and academics have finite bandwidth, and we have to judiciously guard this bandwidth. Finally, in an ever-evolving world, maybe there is just one ability that we hope that every one can be outfitted with – and that’s the capacity to study, study quick and study on their very own. We are going to by no means have the ability to frontload what is critical for our college students of their life, however we are able to solely hope that we give them the muse to Study for Life.
23. The third ‘C’, which is a very powerful to me, is Conviction of the professionals and policymakers. Policymakers will not be evaluated on the short-term outcomes, or how effectively our college students rating for his or her PSLE, O’ Degree or A’ Degree. Our final purpose is that our college students develop in the long run. We have now to remember that there are lots of necessary objectives in life that can’t be measured. Examinations are short-term outcomes. It’s merely a suggestions to our system and to our college students, on how we might help them develop their potential. Examinations will not be a rat race, or evaluating with another person incessantly. We should always all the time encourage our college students to surpass themselves all through life than to surpass another person in an examination. Our final purpose is creating a Assured Contributor and Lifelong Learner. It’s about being assured in themselves and defining their success by their contributions, not simply by their achievements and to be a lifelong learner.
24. Lastly, ‘Collaboration’. We want companions from industries, mother and father, alumni and unions. We will need to have the humility to simply accept that we do not have all of the data crucial to assist our college students. I discussed earlier that there could also be a blind spot, by our very energy that we are able to recruit the highest one-third from each cohort. This additionally tells us that we would not be as various in our expertise as we might like. There isn’t a approach we are able to make the educating drive a microcosm of society. It’s not doable to ship out all of you on the market to know each business. That is the place we have to carry within the experience of oldsters, alumni and the business to enhance that we train at school, to be related and present for our college students.
25. There are lots of challenges and calls for right this moment, past educating the essential educational topics. With the finite variety of assets we’ve, particularly when it comes to time and bandwidth for our academics and college students, we have to obtain greater impression with a extra targeted effort. How can we leverage expertise to assist us do our work higher?
26. A lot of you’ve got requested if we are able to scale back class sizes, in order that the scholars can obtain extra consideration. However realistically, we are able to solely entice so many high quality academics. With the growing load and finite workforce, how can we enhance the standard to realize higher impression and the way can we leverage expertise? Applied sciences will free us from the mundane work, assist us to scale, and customise studying based on wants.
27. However we should first perceive and admire one basic problem, and that’s all our educational studying rests on the muse of a powerful social emotional improvement, or ‘CCE’ as we name them. These are crucial abilities past educational topics that should run parallel to our educational improvement. That is why whereas we’ve developed world class requirements in our educational rigor, we should even have world class requirements on how we develop college students past teachers. We want everybody to develop the best values and have a way of society past themselves, and we have to inculcate the curiosity for lifelong studying to surpass themselves all through life.
28. We might want to redouble our efforts to do extra for CCE than simply teachers. Once I visited Unity Secondary Faculty beforehand, I realized that they’ve developed a singular curriculum. Regardless of having a five-day college week, they solely have a four-day educational calendar. The fifth day of each week is devoted to CCE and their CCA, the place they find out about different necessary complementary life abilities. Once I was on the college, the college’s Nationwide Police Cadet Corps confirmed me a dialogue the place they handle faux information throughout one in every of their periods. They got here to a conclusion that our aged are extra inclined to faux information and scams, they usually got here up with a plan to companion with Feiyue Senior Exercise Centre, and went out to the group to assist them. In the meantime, in Fengshan Main Faculty, they find out about supporting each other by way of teamwork. These are issues that we wish our college students to study, managing their very own feelings. CCE will develop into a important half in our curriculum and run in parallel with all our educational topics.
29. That is why we’re launching the Singapore Centre for CCE (SCCCE) in NIE right this moment. Simply as how we develop the pedagogy for tutorial practices, we wish this Centre to deal with creating the pedagogies for CCE. I’ve three needs for the brand new SCCCE.
30. First, I hope that this Centre will develop right into a keynote of our schooling ecosystem the place we’ve as robust pedagogies for CCE as we’ve for tutorial topics. Second, from the analysis to how we work with NIE and AST to equip our educators with the most effective pedagogical practices for CCE, we additionally envision this Centre to work with companions past the schooling fraternity, and convey again greatest practices in order to enhance ourselves. Third, we need to set a purpose for this Centre to be a keynote within the area and the world in CCE schooling and analysis.
31. NIE has develop into a Centre of excellence for pedagogical strategy for mainstream curriculum. Eight years again, we arrange a brand new Centre to deal with early childhood schooling parallel to NIE, and that is how we developed NIEC. Right this moment, NIEC focuses on the pedagogical approaches for the early years. Extra just lately, we needed to have a 3rd limb – the Institute of Grownup Studying (IAL), to verify we put in assets and a focus to develop the pedagogy and andragogy for our grownup learners. That is way more difficult than NIE, as a result of at NIE we are able to deal with a 10-year cohort of younger youngsters from seven to 17 years outdated, however the IAL should deal with the totally different studying wants of learners from 25 years outdated to 75 years outdated. Now, the SCCCE will assist us focus our efforts on how we are able to uplift the CCE practices for our entire fraternity. That is how we are able to keep on the forefront, and this can even be one of many key components of how we are able to proceed to engender respect for our occupation, which is consistently evolving.
32. I had an identical dialog with Andreas earlier, how can we engender respect in our occupation if we don’t hold bettering. Professions corresponding to medical doctors or accountants will put aside a sure period of time annually to improve themselves. We, too, should do the identical in our occupation.
33. We have to embrace expertise. Right this moment, there are lots of instruments that Aaron and his Instructional Expertise Division staff has give you. However I’m not happy with that but, as a result of whereas we’ve all of the instruments, we aren’t utilizing them as continuously as I would love. That is why we should absolutely utilise instruments such because the Singapore Pupil Studying Area (SLS) to alleviate our academics’ workload.
34. First, academics could make use of the auto-grading operate to chop down the time on grading papers. It’s extra than simply digitising papers, however redesigning the best way we check. That is the place we have to always upskill and reskill ourselves at velocity. If we need to use the auto-grading system, we have to evolve the best way we design our assessments. The auto-grading system might help with academics’ mundane workload. However there must be a steadiness as a result of you’ll nonetheless want to supply suggestions to the scholars. This instrument might help academics focus higher on higher-needs college students, and provides value-added recommendation to college students.
35. Second, the Studying Suggestions Assistant will assist to evaluate the scholars’ essays on their grammar, vocabulary, spelling and so forth. Nonetheless, the Studying Suggestions Assistant won’t change academics. We nonetheless want academics’ suggestions, however this enables academics extra free time to do extra value-added work relatively than the mundane correction of spelling and grammar. This can be a great tool for the English academics.
36. Third, the Interactive Considering Software. With this instrument, academics would have the ability to discover out the suggestions and viewpoints of the quieter college students in school, who will have the ability to key of their enter. Throughout my college visits, I see college students utilising these instruments, and even the quietest of the scholars can now take part in school actions. These are the instruments that we have to study to make use of, as a result of they assist to attract out the most effective in everybody.
37. Fourth, the Adaptive Studying System for arithmetic and even oracy. Adaptive studying is one thing near my coronary heart, as a result of it permits us to carry the underside, allow the center and stretch the highest. With the identical topic, the weaker college students can proceed to study at their very own tempo and apply themselves at a distinct degree. The upper-ability college students can problem themselves with tougher math issues, and the system would have the ability to appraise this. This isn’t an earth-shattering thought, it’s much like the gamification of ranges in most pc video games now.
38. For many who are extra ready, you stretch your self. For many who are much less ready, you practise at your individual time. That is executed for Arithmetic, and must be executed for extra. This may release our time to cater to the wants of the upper wants college students.
39. What about help for oracy? This can be a Chinese language language lesson. College students can study the pronunciation of unfamiliar phrases. You learn the passage, the pc will rating you. You possibly can attempt that once more to enhance your pronunciation or rating. Once more, the excessive capacity college students can go on to learn harder passages, the excessive wants college students can proceed to repeat this. We began this with the Mom Tongue, Malay, Tamil and Chinese language. We’re going to have this for English as effectively.
40. These are all of the instruments which might be accessible for us to release our time and assets to deal with the excessive wants college students and permit the highest to be stretched much more. Now, I’ll present you one thing much more thrilling that’s already in our system and I hope that this can be progressively utilized by all of you, beginning with the upper ranges.
41. 5 years in the past, lengthy earlier than COVID-19, Singapore Polytechnic (SP) needed to place all their lectures on-line. After they put up YouTube movies of their lectures, they began by digitising the analogue. That is not ok. What do I imply by digitising analogue? The audio system spoke into the digicam for one hour and anticipated individuals to concentrate. Even a stay viewers does not listen after half-hour. Over time, they’ve learnt to splice the video into quizzes, modules and break it up into smaller elements. However after they put the video onto the Web and permit their college students to entry it asynchronously, they can observe what number of college students entry it, when, and what did they do. Some college students watched the video and performed it on the regular velocity. Some college students quick forwarded and performed it at double the velocity. Some college students rewound that half and performed it once more. What does that inform us? The lecturers, the school know precisely which a part of the teachings their college students require extra assist, they usually focus their consideration and dialogue on these elements.
42. Have a look at this different instance. The scholar did the quiz, and the lecturers broke it right down to see that are the subtopics that the scholars want extra assist with. Once more, they targeted their consideration on the category.
43. In fact, with SP having reached this stage, I’ve set a brand new purpose for them. These are enter indicators. What we’re most thinking about will not be enter indicators, however end result indicators. As a subsequent step for SP, they’ll consider which of those applied sciences and which of those pedagogies and strategies are only for which topics, and that is the continuing work that we should do.
44. 84% of our college students are utilizing it month-to-month. Is that good or dangerous? 84% to me will not be ok but. We have now 12,000 assets accessible, and totally different modules for individuals to do self-directed studying. That’s greater than an entire Encyclopaedia Britannica put collectively. However that is what we’ve right this moment. We have now 7,500 classes by way of our SLS group gallery for academics. Is that good or dangerous? What do you suppose our numbers must be? I’ve a dream that quickly it is going to be 75,000. And I will let you know how we are going to get that. Right this moment by utilizing such shared assets, our educating fraternity have collectively saved 640,000 hours. 641,000 to be actual.
45. However I am not impressed but. Why? I’ve 30,000 academics. 640,000 hours equate to 21 hours of each instructor’s time. That isn’t ok. My aspiration is that by way of this sharing system, we are going to save 200 hours of each instructor’s time. That may make a distinction. I will clarify how we’re going to get that executed.
46. We are going to proceed to equip our academics adequately. What number of of you’ve got been outfitted and know put your lectures onto YouTube? Or extra apparently, what number of of you’ve got used TikTok? What number of of you within the stay viewers have used “TeachTok”? It is the schooling model of TikTok. 20% of TikTok is made up of studying modules. To place up a module and crunch it down to 2 minutes or one if doable, and even 30 seconds, is an artwork, science and a ability. So, we should always count on NIE to have one lesson at the very least on TikTok for all new academics and we should always count on a few of you to go for the refresher coaching fairly quickly on YouTube, TikTok and lots of different issues.
47. How can we design the brand new suggestions and evaluation strategies? How can we design classes and leverage on the analytics? These are all the brand new abilities required.
48. The subsequent useful resource accessible is OPAL (One Portal, All Learners). Right this moment, we’ve 1,800 lively communities. What’s fascinating about OPAL is not only what’s being shared there. I can see what’s the most searched course that’s of use to you, in addition to what you’ve got searched and have been unable to search out. If I do know what you’ve got looked for and are unable to search out, I’ll attempt to determine how greatest that will help you. So, this isn’t nearly mass customisation for our college students. Additionally it is about customisation to assist our fellow academics. You might have considered trying some assist, it’s possible you’ll not know what to do, however guess what? Anyone on the market amongst the 30,000, 40,000 of you’ll know and have a greater thought, and if we are able to collectively harness the energies and concepts from everybody else, we’ll have the ability to organise ourselves to maneuver higher and sooner.
49. It is best to be a part of the OPAL communities to study, in addition to share your EdTech data with different academics within the SG Studying Designers Circle or the EdTech Leaders Neighborhood. You’re the content material turbines that can share and profit from different individuals sharing as effectively. If we are able to do this, then we’ll have the ability to progress a lot sooner.
50. Going again to the SLS, an instance of some of the shared SLS assets is by Yio Chu Kang Secondary’s Miss Xu Xiahong. She shared a Chinese language language studying SLS lesson. Since final January, it has garnered greater than 1,200 shares. That enables different academics to learn. So this 12 months, we’ve initiated this – I’ll give out a Minister’s Innovation Award for giant scale initiatives with sustained impression on our schooling system. It is going to apply not simply to MOE HQ, but additionally our statutory boards, and another merchandise that profit our group.
51. Subsequent 12 months, I additionally need to recognise the ground-up contributors. Miss Xu from Yio Chu Kang Secondary can be a worthy recipient. I realized this concept from one other nation the place they don’t have such robust curriculum assets, however they’ve a mass of ground-up initiatives. When everyone places of their concepts, how do we all know which is the most effective? It’s decided by the market, by the fraternity. All people downloads no matter they discover most helpful.
52. Now, a phrase of warning. By no means be complacent that we’re topping the charts on PISA or PIRLS or something of that kind. Another international locations with a lot much less assets, however way more artistic considering can overtake us, as a result of they’ve a need to study and to share. There isn’t any cause why our 30,000, 40,000 within the educating fraternity can not organise ourselves higher to share sooner, and to share extra. So this 12 months, I need to capitalise the ground-up sharing of practices for us to realize this, at scale and velocity.
53. I’ve a imaginative and prescient – that each instructor can be a tech-enabled good person, pioneer, and collaborator. How are we going to realize that? Three quite simple methods. Firstly, each instructor learns one new factor yearly. Secondly, each instructor contributes one good follow to SLS or OPAL yearly. If each one in every of my academics contributes one good thought yearly, all of us have 30,000 concepts to study from. Thirdly, each college contributes one good, modern thought yearly. There are greater than 300 faculties, 182 major faculties, 148 secondary faculties, 22 JCs, 5 polytechnics, three ITE campuses, six universities with many schools. There can be many modern concepts.
54. Now, I’ll spherical up with the place I began with – societal respect. How can we get societal respect? I promise to have your again. This Authorities will proceed to have this dedication in the direction of you.
55. Promise me that irrespective of how busy you might be, you’ll continue to learn.
56. That is why regardless of your workload within the college, I would like you to exit on your Trainer Work Attachment Plus (TWA+). That is why we are going to organise all of the group networks, whether or not it is OPAL, SLS, to allow you to study. I’ve a imaginative and prescient – someday, all my academics can entry and study any topic, anytime, anyplace. If we are able to do that for the entire Singapore, there isn’t any cause, why we won’t do that for our personal educating fraternity, why our academics can’t be the exemplars of lifelong studying.
57. So, I’ll stroll the journey with you. Go on your studying journeys, kind networks in the neighborhood. Be humble, invite individuals to return into the college to share their insights.
58. Final however not least, subsequent 12 months, we will host the ISTP in Singapore. 20, 30 international locations can be coming right here. I’ve one easy want that when our visitors come to Singapore, they’ll see the variety of our college and practices, the arrogance and competence of our college students and most significantly, the dedication, drive and professionalism of our academics.
59. On that observe, thanks as soon as once more for all that you’ve executed. I am extraordinarily pleased with all of you. Your dedication throughout COVID-19, your innovation and velocity of response to COVID-19. Your consistency over time will enable us to realize steady progress. With out you, right this moment, we can be speaking concerning the studying loss for a era as in some international locations.
60. We are going to proceed to handle you, you handle our college students. They may handle our future. Thanks very a lot.